We now resume our regularly scheduled programming, already in progress.

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Since NHL teams must be at the roster limit of 23 active players and also be salary-cap compliant by Monday afternoon, today is moving day.

The Buffalo Sabres placed defenseman Alexander Sulzer on the waivers. If he clears,and it’s probably 50/50 that he does, the Rochester Americans will again have a seasoned veteran on their blue line.

In 2011-12, Shaone Morrisonn came to the Amerks. Last season it was Adam Pardy. The difference will be money; Sulzer’s one-way contract pays him $725,000, compared to the $2 million-plus for the other two.

Meanwhile, forward Luke Adam cleared waivers at noon today, which means the Sabres will be sending him to the Amerks.

He’ll need no road map, since he has played in Rochester since February 2012 (he played 4 NHL games last season, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist).

Where he goes from here isn’t known, however. Google doesn’t have that map. Only Adam does.

How performs this season will definitely determine where he is next year, since he signed only a one-year contract and will again be a restricted free agent next summer.

In 2010-11, Adam was the AHL rookie of the year, competing a Buffalo Sabres trifecta of Dudley Garrett Memorial Award winners that started with Nathan Gerbe in 2008-09 and continued with Tyler Ennis in 2009-10.

If nothing else, that proves great success in the AHL doesn’t always translate to great productivity in the NHL. The Sabres b0ught out Gerbe over the summer (he signed with the Carolina Hurricanes).

Only Ennis is firmly entrenched in the Sabres lineup.

As an Amerk a year ago, Adam produced 15-22-37 in 67 games. His plus/minus was minus-10. He didn’t have a point in the three playoff games.

It’s very much make-or-break time, at least with the Sabres.

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The Sabres still have 24 healthy players on their roster, so they still need to trim a forward. Zemgus Girgensons, Brian Flynn and Johan Larsson are the most likely possibilities.

Waivers are required on Kevin Porter and Cody McCormick, and neither was played on the wire (nor were they expected to be waived).

Wingers Joel Armia (broken hand) and Corey Tropp (broken jaw) are on injured reserve. Both are probably out at least five or six weeks.

Armia will be assigned to the Amerks when healthy. Tropp will mostly likely be staying in Buffalo and someone else will come down (though he could do a rehab stint with the Amerks first).

Once the Sabres sort out their roster, Amerks coach Chadd Cassidy can decide how many players he keeps around for Friday’s season opener against the Grand Rapid Griffins. There is no roster limit in the AHL, only a lineup limit of 18 skaters and 2 goalies.

The Rochester Americans roster for opening night took another hit on Wednesday when rookie winger Joel Armia suffered a broken (left) hand during a preseason game with the Buffalo Sabres.

No timetable for his return was given by the team on Wednesday. John Vogl of The Buffalo News said no decision has been made on surgery (the break could heal on its own).

Armia eventually will be with the Amerks, and his skill will be an asset as the Finnish right winger adjusts to the North American game. For now, however, others will have a chance to play a more significant role. That includes rookie center Eric Locke; another vacancy on the forward lines means he quite likely will be offered a contract.

Locke, a seventh-round draft pick in 2013, came to camp unsigned. He could return to the Ontario Hockey League to play an overage season with Saginaw but it now appears he’ll stick with the Amerks.

Corey Tropp’s broken jaw (from the fight in Toronto on Sunday) already had cost the Amerks a forward. With Tropp out, someone targeted for reassignment will now stick in Buffalo.

NHL teams must be cap-compliant and at the 23-man roster by Monday, so final reassignments from the Sabres will likely come on Saturday or Sunday. A guess at which forwards come down: Luke Adam, Brian Flynn and Zemgus Girgensons.

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Last spring the Amerks bonded through the culture they called #Merk$, going so far as to have caps and T-shirts printed.

When goalie Matt Hackett started a revival of #Merk$ on Twitter Wednesday, now-departed tough-guy winger Nick Tarnasky replied, “no such a thing.”

Tarnasky seemed to be implying that he owns the naming rights.

Not a chance, defenseman Matt MacKenzie said this morning, while wearing his #Merk$ cap.

“We’ll keep it alive,” he said.

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Winning a preseason game isn’t really that important — and yet it is.

We all know that there aren’t any league standings, the statistics don’t count and losing coaches and players don’t throw post-game tantrums.

Yet it never hurts to win, which the Amerks did against the Penguins.

“That’s a habit, a culture we’re trying to have around here,” Amerks coach Chadd Cassidy said following the game.

Said captain Matt Ellis: “At this stage of the game you’re creating a foundation, you’re adding building blocks.”

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Johnny McGuire had a first-period fight on Wednesday with Christiaan Minella, the first of what will quite likely be many scraps for the rookie winger.

The Amerks don’t have a heavyweight presence and they definitely need one. Tarnasky, now with the Hamilton Bulldogs, was a valuable deterrent last season. Opposing tough-guys rarely did stupid things or played the intimidation game on Amerks skill players because there was a price to pay.

This year? Who knows what will happen. Jamie Devane, the guy who broke Tropp’s jaw, will be with the Toronto Marlies. The Syracuse Crunch have Eric Neilson.

While McGuire (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) is just a rookie he’s apparently quite willing to scrap.

“I thought he did a good job establishing what he wants to be at this level,” Cassidy said after Wednesday’s game.

An update at 1:58 p.m.: Signing is now official. Amerks announce Gillies has signed an AHL contract.

Original post:

On Tuesday Buffalo Sabres assistant general manager Kevin Devine said they wanted to get Colton Gillies signed so the strong-skating winger could start the season with the Rochester Americans.

That apparently has happened — or will very, very soon.

Gillies skated with the Amerks this morning during their tune-up for tonight’s 7:05 AHL preseason game at Bill Gray’s Iceplex against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He then came off the ice just as the non-playing group began their skate to take a phone call, presumably from his agent.

When he finished the call, I asked, “You gonna be here?”

Gillies reply: “Oh, yeah.”

A first-round pick (16th overall) of the Minnesota Wild in 2007, the fifth-year forward was in camp with the Sabres on a tryout and played in two preseason games. He was “released” on Saturday but the Sabres had every intention of signing him. Gillies just needed to weigh his options, as well.

He won’t score 30 goals but he can skate very well for a guy 6-foot-3, 215 pounds. Several scouts said that if he realizes he can make a very good living playing the on-the-puck, forecheck-hard, grind-it-out game, then he’ll end up back in the NHL.

Here’s a link to our story on Gillies from last week (when he was still in Buffalo):

Nathan Lieuwen and Connor Knapp will be the goalies in uniform for the Amerks tonight.

Coach Chadd Cassidy also will use almost all of his regular forwards and defensemen (granted, four or five forwards still must come down from the Sabres).

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Winger Jamie Tardif has been out of action with a lower body injury but Cassidy said he was much improved today. Tardif won’t play tonight but could return to practice Thursday.

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The Sabres announced this morning that winger Corey Tropp has a broken jaw (from his fight in Sunday’s game against Toronto). He will miss up to six weeks, so that means one extra forward will be sticking with Buffalo instead of coming to the Amerks.

The Rochester Americans opened training camp today and about the time they were coming off the ice, they were getting more players from the parent Buffalo Sabres.

Namely, their leadership core and three of their top four defensemen.

Defensemen Brayden McNabb, Chad Ruhwedel and Drew Bagnall, goalie Matt Hackett and forwards Mike Zigomanis and Matt Ellis were reassigned by the Sabres. Bagnall and Ellis must clear waivers (noon Tuesday). Winger Jamie Tardif has cleared waivers but did not practice Monday because of a lower body injury (not believed to be serious).

Bagnall, Ellis and Zigomanis will be prime-time players but they also bring a combined 29 years of pro experience (Zigomanis 12 years, Ellis 11 and Bagnall 6).

“We have great veteran leadership,” coach Chadd Cassidy said. “They bring a lot of experience to the table and it’s something I thought we really lacked in the past, guys that have been there, have been at the NHL level and played a lot of games.” Tardif, who has played seven pro seasons, is also part of the leadership core.

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Third-year center Phil Varone didn’t get a very long look from the Sabres in camp –as in no preseason games. Thus, he knows where he stands and said he needs to have “a huge season.”

As a rookie in 2011-12, Varone scored 11 goals, 41 assists and 52 points in 76 games, but was nearly a point-a-game player over the final have of the season. He also finished plus-17.

Last season, he was pushed down the depth chart during the NHL lockout when Cody Hodgson and Kevin Porter were with the Amerks and then never really re-emerged (11-24-35 in 62 games, minus-3).

“I need to bounce back from last year,” he said.

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Three goalies — Connor Knapp, Andrey Makarov and Nathan Lieuwen — continue to compete for one backup spot with the Amerks. There are only two preseason games (Wednesday at MCC vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and then at WB/S on Friday), so there isn’t a great deal of game-time opportunity to make an impact.

Thus, every practice is critical, Knapp said. The coaches on the ice, and whatever hockey-department personnel may be in the stands, are taking notes.

“You have to bring it every day,” Knapp said. “There’s plenty of opportunity to prove yourself.”

The battle between goalies to determine who backs up Matt Hackett with the Rochester Americans will continue at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial on Monday when the American Hockey League portion of training camp begins.

Goalies Connor Knapp, Nathan Lieuwen and Andrey Makarov were among 13 players assigned to the Amerks today. Knapp and Lieuwen split time in Rochester as rookies last season, backing up David Leggio, and now Makarov joins the depth chart.

They’ll continue their auditions with the first on-ice practice session, tentatively set for 10 a.m. on Monday. With three goalies and 10 skaters, I’m not sure what can be accomplished, unless there are a whole lot of invitees.

There very likely will be the first wave of bubble players sent to the Amerks on Monday (to hit the ice here Tuesday). The Amerks play their two AHL preseason games next week (both against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins): at the Bill Gray’s rink at 7 p.m. on Wednesday and at Wilkes-Barre at 7 p.m. Friday.

One of the most recognizable voices on the Rochester airwaves is signing off today.

Tom George, who has been heard on area radio stations for 45 years, is retiring. Starting Monday, someone else will be telling you about some vehicular calamity and what highways you should avoid at rush hour.

George had already done one of these retirement things, however. Following the 1996-97 season, he turned off his rink-side microphone at the War Memorial for the final time.

An iconic voice for nearly two decades at the downtown hockey arena, the late night games followed by an early wake-up became a burden on common sense.

“I was getting up at 3:45 in the morning (for his radio gig) and it started to become too much,” he said.

A native of Warsaw and 1964 graduate of Caledonia-Mumford Central High School, George was the public address voice of Amerks hockey for 18 seasons. He saw three Calder Cup championship teams, though only once did he have the honors of announcing the champions.

Mike Keenan’s 1983 team clinched the Cup in Portland, Maine. John Van Boxmeer’s 1987 title team won in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Only John Tortorella’s 1996 team celebrated with the Cup on home ice.

“Just the thrill of being that close to the action is something I’ll never forget,” he said. “My adrenaline would go up every time I went (to the scorer’s table/announcer’s box).”

Through the years, he sometimes rented an apartment to players. Val James, the tough-guy winger from the early 1980s, was one tenant. “One summer he couldn’t pay rent so I said, ‘Well, help me paint my house.’ ” Deal.

George, 67, admits he did become a bit too involved in one game, and had some sort of emotional exchange with an opposing player. The player had been ejected, and in making the announcement, he gleefully bellowed over the P.A. system, “And a take-a-shower game misconduct.”

“The referee,” George recalled today, “didn’t like that and came over to tell me.”

There was the night he didn’t agree with the 3 stars and, upon announcing the first selection, emphatically declared, “as chosen by those in the press box.” (For the record, despite not having one measly assist, Jeff Parker was awesome that night and was a no-doubt-about-it first star.)

Without question, he was the best P.A. announcer in franchise history — far, far better than a whole lot of people doing P.A. in the NHL (or other pro sports). A booming voice, the perfect inflection and an ability to rev up the crowd when he announced a goal, penalty, or “one minute remaining.”

Whether it was saying “Jody Gage,” “The Metter” or “Gates Orlando,” he added excitement to a usually frenzied atmosphere.

My question now is: Since he won’t be getting up at 3:45 a.m. anymore, why not come back downtown for Amerk games?

Considering how stale — or worse — every All-Star “game” has gotten over the past decade, it’s nice to see the American Hockey League trying to spice up their event.

The NFL’s Pro Bowl is a total joke. The NHL All-Star Game has become mindlessly boring, and the AHL game isn’t any better. The NBA event is unwatchable (which, I guess, makes it the regular season).

So rather than having another no-contact, 60-minute exhibition of pond hockey at the AHL All-Star Classic, the league’s best players will face off against Farjestad BK of the Swedish Elite League.

The game is Feb. 12 in St. John’s, Newfoundland (about 2,700 miles from Karlstad, Sweden, compared to about 1,200 to Rochester) and will be played during the NHL’s Olympic break. This provides a TV window, and the game also will be played before the Olympic action in Sochi, Russia, cranks up.

I like it. It has potential.

When the AHL revived the All-Star Game, back in 1995, the first few games were actually entertaining. Players from Canadian-based teams faced off against U.S.-based teams the first two years. In 1997, it was Canadian-born players against the world (AHL players born anywhere but Canada) and that was probably the best game of the 19 in Dave Andrews’ term as president.

Rob Murray of the Springfield Falcons threw a check — a real, bona fide body check — and it was game on. Final: 3-2 World All-Stars in a shootout, with Rochester Americans sniper Craig Charron scoring a shootout goal for the ages.

But in the years that followed, the intensity dropped significantly — to virtually zero in recent years — and regardless of the monetary incentive to win, the mid-season showcase had lost its luster.

Playing a team from a European league at least has potential to get guys a little excited to play. There might be an us-against-them, out-hockey-is-better-than-yours approach. Maybe not, but at least the potential does exist.

Farjestad has won the Swedish title four times in the past 12 season: 2002, 2006, 2009, 2011. Last season, former Amerk Alexander Salak was the Farjestad goalie (he’s playing in the KHL now).

There will be fewer players honored (the AHL only needs to fill one roster), so, in theory, the very best will play. Of course, some players may be lost to the Olympics (Amerks center Zemgus Girgensons, for example) but finding 25 players won’t be hard.

I have not seen details as far as roster size, or if each team will be represented in the skills competition the night before.

Barry Smith, who played 4 1/2 seasons from 1975-76 through 1979-80, died on Saturday of an apparent heart attack in Tennessee, where he has made his home for two decades.

He was 58.

Following his retirement as a player, Smith coached the Rochester Jr. Amerks in the late 1980s and into the 1990s before moving up to coach the Knoxville Cherokees of the East Coast Hockey League in 1992-93.

Smith made his mark with the Amerks not as a goal-scorer but for his hustle, desire and defensive play.

“I will say he was one of the hardest-working and best penalty killers in the history of the Amerks,” said Ray Maluta, his former Amerks’ teammate, said this evening. “He was a fantastic penalty killer and the consummate team player, no question about it.”

That grit and hunger to win drew the admiration of then-Boston Bruins coach Don Cherry. He played 19 games as a rookie with the Bruins in 1975-76 (scoring one goal). Four years later, Cherry was coaching the NHL’s Colorado Rockies and acquired Smith at mid-season in 1979-80.

“Grapes (Cherry’s nickname) loved him because of his work ethic,” Maluta said.

In 1975, Smith was chosen in the second round of the NHL draft by the Bruins (32nd overall), and in the third round of the WHA’s Edmonton Oilers (36th overall). A native of Surrey, B.C., he signed with the Bruins.

Current Buffalo Sabres equipment manager Dave Williams was hired by Smith to be Knoxville’s equipment manager early in the 1995-96 season. The person who previously held the job quit and Smith sent out an APB amongst his players.

“He said, ‘Does anybody know an equipment guy?’ ” Williams said.

Chris Fess, a former star at Aquinas, was playing for Knoxville at the time and recommended Williams, who was at SUNY-Plattsburgh when Fess played there.

“Barry called me and offered me the job,” Williams said.

Smith coached Knoxville from ’92-93 until late in the ’96-97 season, when he was fired and replaced by Jack Capuano (now coach of the New York Islanders).

Does it really matter who the Rochester Americans play in their outdoor game?

Really, if they can’t play the Hershey Bears — who are the New York Yankees/Montreal Canadiens of the American Hockey League – then what difference does it make who sits in the opponent’s bench?

Absolutely none.

Which is why, for the general population, the Amerks vs. the Lake Erie Monsters in the the Dec. 13 game works just fine. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and the first outdoor game in franchise history kicks off a 10-day festival of hockey at Frontier Field. The official name: Frozen Frontier presented by Rochester Area Honda Dealers.

There was essentially one major factor in determining the opponent: the team needed to be based in a nearby city, just in case rain, heat or an extreme snowfall force postponement. You can’t rip apart the AHL schedule or another team’s calendar in order to reschedule the game.

Are the Amerks and Monsters fierce rivals? No. Do fans flock to the War Memorial box office when Lake Erie comes to town? Hardly. If you’re using an A-to-F scale to grade marquee value, the Monsters are about a C, maybe a C- (but getting better at least).

But it won’t matter one iota for this game. Every available ticket will sell, because this will be a community celebration of hockey. There will be fans buying their first hockey ticket. There will be season-ticket holders buying extra seats for friends and relatives making a trip back to Rochester just for the weekend. Companies will buy blocks of tickets — and then during the following week rent the ice for their own corporate outing.

The Amerks could play the Toledo Walleye (love that name) or the Rapid City Rush and Frontier Field will be sold out, grassy knolls and all.

Rivalries are about intensity on the ice and excitement in the stands. For your Friday-night-in-November or Wednesday-night-in-March regular season game, a history of on-ice feuding or playoff battles always fuels the fire.

A considerable percentage of season-ticket holders will say they deserved in the outdoor extravaganza to see the Amerks play the Bears, Syracuse Crunch, Binghamton Senators, Chicago Wolves or even the Toronto Marlies. (Nothing against the Hamilton Bulldogs, but that’s a rivalry that just won’t pick up momentum in Rochester, despite previous playoff meetings and 10 regular-season games every year since Jody Gage retired.)

I get that. For them, the opponent matters. But for 10,000 others that will buy tickets, the opponent doesn’t matter. You don’t need Syracuse or Binghamton in order for the Frozen Frontier kickoff game to be special. There will automatically be on-ice intensity and in-the-stands excitement simply because of the grandeur and splendor of the event.

Here’s the link to the story with the details on events and ticket prices:

With today’s addition of right winger Jamie Tardif, what would appear to be a very solid Rochester Americans’ lineup grew even stronger.

And thus, there’s a bit of a Back to the Future feeling.

The parent Buffalo Sabres signed some big-time free agents for the Amerks this summer: Left winger Matt Ellis was brought back, center/winger Mike Zigomanis was lured away from the Toronto Marlies, defenseman Drew Bagnall brings toughness, smarts and leadership to the blue line, and now Tardif, a 30-goal scorer last season with the Providence Bruins.

“We decided to narrow down what we signed and go with quality,” said Kevin Devine, Buffalo’s director of amateur scouting who oversees Amerks’ on-ice operations. “They’re all highly thought of by a lot of people in hockey.”

Surround them with top-rated prospects such as Joel Armia, Zemgus Girgensons, Dan Catenacci, Rasmus Ristolainen and Johan Larsson, and on-the-cusp returnees like Brayden McNabb and Corey Tropp, and the Amerks should actually be good enough to make a playoff run.

Rochester is long overdue for springtime hockey; the Amerks haven’t won a playoff series since Round 1 in 2004-05.

This is what summers were always like for Amerks fans. High-quality free agents were signed to bolster the lineup and provide some semblance of season-long stability, regardless of what prospects were called up to Buffalo.

The Sabres did this under the Knox family through the 1980s and into the early 1990s and the Amerks reaped the benefits with Cups in 1983 and 1987, and trips to the finals in 1984, ’90, ’91 and ’93. The practice regained traction in 1995-96 at the urging (and with the financial support of) Steve Donner’s ownership group. A Calder Cup in ’96 and trips to the finals in 1999 and 2000 followed.

And then, of course, the partnership between Donner’s group and the Sabres grew ugly, disintegrated and the Amerks spiraled toward extinction. The Sabres left, and so did the fans. Rehash, rehash.

But when the Sabres took their AHL operations to Portland, they didn’t embrace the “sign big-name, star-power AHL free agents” philosophy. Instead, they signed solid veterans, guys that weren’t targeted for top-line, top-unit roles but instead would be leaders and also play complementary roles alongside the prospects.

Here’s the key free-agent signings the past five seasons:

2008-09

Mathieu Darche

Colin Fretter

Colin Murphy

Kyle Rank

Jimmy Bonneau

2009-10

Kyle Wanvig

Jeff Cowan

Cody McCormick

Brad Larsen

2010-11

Mark Parrish

Colin Stuart

Dennis McCauley and Tim Conboy.

When Buffalo bought the Amerks before the 2011-12 season, they signed the following veterans:

Paul Szczechura

Michael Ryan

and also resigned Derek Whitmore

Last summer:

Kevin Porter

Mark Mancari

Nick Tarnasky

Sabres general manager Darcy Regier, and Devine, promised significant signings for the Amerks for the upcoming season. They delivered.

Tardif, 28, also is a solid example of what happens when you keep working. He turned pro in 2006-07 and finally had a chance to play his first NHL games this past season with the Boston Bruins (2 games, no points). He scored 30-15-45 in 62 AHL games for Providence and had 7-4-11 in 12 playoff games.

What’s left: The team has no “designated” tough-guy with Tarnasky’s departure for Montreal/Hamilton. Devine said today that “a couple offers were made” to players that would fill that role, but so far neither player accepted.

They aren’t rushing or panicking. The role can often be filled in during camp (see Trevor Gillis from 2009-10 as proof). Also, it doesn’t appear to be a major priority, though it’s hard to imagine any parent team wanting so many good, young prospects to not have a sense of protection.

Devine said the organization will use the rookie tournament in Traverse City, Mich., and training camp to determine whether Logan Nelson (5th round in 2012) and Eric Locke (7th in 2013) will be offered entry-level contracts or if they will go back to play an overage season in junior.

The too-much/too-soon signings of Riley Boychuk and Shawn Szydlowski in September 2012 has, if nothing else, perhaps made them a little more cautious when it comes to relying on unproven kids out of junior.

“We maybe jumped the gun a little bit there and maybe learned a lesson,” Devine admitted. “But by the time we see them (Nelson and Locke) in Traverse City and camp, we’ll have a pretty good read on them.”

Most importantly, however: The top-notch free agents that were signed will ensure the Amerks aren’t relying on fringe prospects and/or diamonds in the rough.

About Kevin

Kevin Oklobzija has been covering the Rochester Americans and the American Hockey League, as well as the Buffalo Sabres and the NHL, since the puck dropped on the 1985-86 pro hockey season. He has covered the Calder Cup and Stanley Cup playoffs, as well as hockey at the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, Salt Lake City and Turin, Italy. Hockey's O-Zone will provide news and views on the sport. If you have a comment, Email Kevin, and we'll even make it easy for you -- you don't even need to spell his last name: kevino@democratandchronicle.com.